


The Queen of Liars and the Blind Prince

by The_Loganator_101



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blind Ishimaru Kiyotaka, Enoshima Junko Being An Asshole, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Half-Human, Half-animal, Halflings means the previous two tags, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Out of Character, Warning: Enoshima Junko, Witches, out of character Celestia Ludenburg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-01-23 18:31:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18555403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Loganator_101/pseuds/The_Loganator_101
Summary: My fear has led you to ruin.I promise I will make things right.I will lead you through the wilderness.I will bring joy back to your life.I cannot bear to lose you...... So I will protect you.I will fight for you.... I will even kill for you.But would you hate me...If you knew I lied to you...?My true self...Cannot be with you...Based on the game The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince.





	1. A Voice in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Ahem, today... I'm gonna tell you the story about two unlikely lovers. It all started long ago...

Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom surrounded by a pitch black forest. The forest was filled with many dangerous creatures, the king forbade anyone from going there at night. But that didn't stop the king's son, Kiyotaka Ishimaru. He would always travel to the forest at night to visit a small patch of flowers to get away from his stressful royal duties. But what he doesn't know is that deep in the forest, there lived a wolf creature covered in black fur and eyes as red as blood who stays on a rock outcrop. Only leaving it to hunt for food.

She never had a friend in her life, because of her appearance. She was abandoned when her parents were hunted. "Another lonely night as usual..." The Wolf said herself. "It's not like it's anything new." She looked down at the ground below her, and at the moon. "... At least I won't be bothered by anyone when I'm up here." She gets up from her laying position to sitting up as she starts singing. 

 

Tonto el que no entienda  
Cuenta una leyenda  
Que una hembra gitana  
Conjuró a la luna hasta el amanecer  
Llorando pedía  
Al llegar el día  
Desposar un calé

Her voice filled the entire forest, lulling the creatures into a deep slumber.

Tendrás a tu hombre piel morena  
Desde el cielo habló la luna llena  
Pero a cambio quiero  
El hijo primero  
Que le engendres a él  
Que quien su hijo inmola  
Para no estar sola  
Poco le iba a querer

Eventually, the singing reached the ears of the guards and the prince as the guards also fell into slumber.

Luna quieres ser madre  
Y no encuentras querer  
Que te haga mujer  
Dime luna de plata  
Que pretendes hacer  
Con un niño de piel, Ah, ah  
Hijo de la luna

Kiyotaka looked over at the sleeping guards, but was distracted by the wonderful voice filling the forest.

De padre canela nació un niño  
Blanco como el lomo de un armiño  
Con los ojos grises  
En vez de aceituna  
Niño albino de luna

Maldita su estampa  
Este hijo es de un payo  
Y yo no me lo callo

"Where is that coming from?" The Prince asked himself as he followed the voice. Eventually, he came across the same outcrop where the wolf was singing. But he didn't know it was the wolf singing since the outcrop was very tall.

Luna quieres ser madre  
Y no encuentras querer  
Que te haga mujer  
Dime luna de plata  
Que pretendes hacer  
Con un niño de piel, Ah, ah  
Hijo de la luna

"... What a beautiful voice." Kiyotaka said to himself, taking a seat on a nearby tree stump as he listened to the rest of the song.

Gitano al creerse deshonrado  
Se fue a su mujer cuchillo en mano  
De quién es el hijo?  
Me has engañado fijo  
Y de muerte la hirió  
Luego se hizo al monte  
Con el niño en brazos  
Y allí le abandonó

Luna quieres ser madre  
Y no encuentras querer  
Que te haga mujer  
Dime luna de plata  
Que pretendes hacer  
Con un niño de piel, Ah, ah  
Hijo de la luna

Y las noches que haya luna llena  
Será porque el niño esté de buenas  
Y si el niño llora  
Menguará la luna  
Para hacerle una cuna  
Y si el niño llora  
Menguará la luna  
Para hacerle una cuna

The wolf opened her eyes to look at the moon. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard clapping from below. "My my, you have such a lovely voice!" Kiyotaka said, standing up. "I've never met a maiden who can sing like you! Would you please come down so I can congratulate you face to face?" He asked, looking up. The wolf stayed where she was, not wanting to scare him, but didn't want to waste her time with him. "I understand if I surprised you and don't want to come down, it's fine. I'll be back tomorrow night, I promise!" The Prince yelled as he ran back to the flower patch.

"Where have you been my prince!? It's dangerous to be wandering around here alone!" one of the guards scolded. "I know, I didn't wander far. Let's head back before my father wakes up and finds me missing." Kiyotaka said, walking in the direction of the castle. Meanwhile, the wolf just sat there, contemplating about what the prince told her. "He's... the first to ever comment about my singing..." She muttered, laying down and falling asleep.

TBC...


	2. Fears and Doubt

As the Prince promised, he returned to hear the wolf sing the very next night. And then he returned the night after that. And the next, and many more. Still, he was filled with curiosity as to who the singer could be. Eventually, the wolf had begun to look forward to hearing Kiyotaka applaud to her songs, feeling she finally found someone who wasn't afraid of her. But that didn't stop the possibilities she imagined in her head as she was walking to her outcrop.

"But... If that prince ever finds out I'm actually a monster, he might get scared and never come back to hear me sing..." She said to herself. The thought of the prince seeing her alone was enough to terrify her. The nights went on, and the seasons changed. One night, Kiyotaka went into the forest alone to the flower patch as he thought about the mysterious singer. "... It's decided." he said aloud. "Tonight I will meet the maiden! I want us to become friends." With that settled, he went to the outcrop where the wolf was and started climbing it.

The wolf heard the grunts and looks down to see Kiyotaka climbing to the top. "Oh no..." She whispered. "I can't let him see me. He'll hate me!" "Excuse me miss!" The prince called out. "It would be really appreciated if you could help-"

SLASH!

Without thinking, the wolf uses her sharp claws to scratch his eyes. The sudden attack caused the prince to let go as he fell to the ground, bleeding from his eyes. The wolf looked down at the prince and her claws, realizing what she'd done. "It sounded like it came from here!" She heard a manly voice say. She jumped off the outcrop and ran from the scene as fast as she could. One of the guards from the castle saw Kiyotaka on the ground while blood oozed from his eyes. "Oh god!! Get over here and help me get him back to the castle!" Was all the prince heard before fainting from loss of blood.

~~~

The Royal Healer was able to clean the blood off the prince's face and wrap bandages over his eyes. Once he was cleaned up, he was then taken to the king. "Son" He started. "What you did tonight was very irresponsible. You know better than to go out to that forest without guards, let alone at night!" "But father, I've been there a bunch of times before with or without guards. And there's a maiden in that forest that can sing and put those creatures to sleep. If we can just find her, we'll never have to worry about traveling through it at night again." Kiyotaka said, hoping his father will believe him.

The king stayed silent for a bit before turning to the guards. "... Take him to his room. And make sure he doesn't hurt himself." The guards nodded sadly as they helped the prince up and escorted him to his room.

~~~

Several nights passed since that day, and Kiyotaka was imprisoned in his room. his face had been scarred, and his eyes were no longer able to see. As royalty, he brought shame to his family he thought. He was not to be seen in public.

One of the guards with a corn shaped hairstyle was holding a tray of food as he unlocked the prince's room and enters. "Your highness, I've brought you your dinner." The guard said, setting the tray down. He picks up the bowl of soup and holds the spoon up for the prince. He parted his lips as the guard fed him the soup. "You know your father hasn't seen you in days. He really wants you to come out and have a walk." The guard explained as he fed him. Kiyotaka said nothing as he ate. "Thank you Mondo. You may leave me to rest..." He said, laying down in his bed.

The guard sighed as he took the tray but left the plate of bread as he left the room and locked it again. After returning the tray and dishes, he went outside and into the forest. He looked back to make sure he wasn't being followed before allowing his true self to come forth. His ears have become pointy as his eyes became more of a emerald green, and his suit of armor became black clothes with a cape. The wolf came out of the shadows and approaches the guard.

"Anything on the prince Mondo?" The wolf asked worriedly. "From what I've seen of him in the past few weeks, he's completely broken. He refuses to talk to anyone unless its to send me or any of the guards away. He's become a prisoner in his own castle." Mondo explained, tightening his fist. The wolf felt tears in her eyes as she heard what he said. "That's horrible!" The wolf howled with indignation. "You think the king wanted his son to lock himself in his room!? No matter what I or anyone else say he won't listen!" Mondo exclaimed in anger.

The wolf managed to calm down and face the guard. "... Can you sneak me into the castle? I want to make sure he's okay." Mondo looked at the wolf in shock, but then transformed back into what he was wearing before. "Fine. But I can't take you inside the castle. I can escort you to the prince's window." "... It's better than nothing." Was all the wolf said as they walk towards the castle. Mondo distracted the other guards as the wolf snuck by them.

Eventually, they reached the part of the castle where Kiyotaka's window was located. "This is as far as I can take you. I need to get back to my post. Good luck." The guard said, walking away. The wolf made work by climbing up the tower to get to the prince. After climbing so high, she made it to the prince's window to see him laying in bed. "Prince..." The wolf whispered, climbing onto the window sill. The prince stood up and turned to the direction of the window. "That voice... Are you the singer from the forest?" He asked. The wolf was surprised that the prince could recognize her by her voice alone.

"I came to make sure you were doing alright. More importantly, it isn't fair that you're locked up in your own room!" She exclaimed in anger. "No, you got it all wrong. I ordered them to lock me in here." He replied. "Why would you do that?" "Because... my face was marred by a monster... Because of my carelessness. And I'm blind... I can't let anyone see me. I can never go outside again after what happened! What's the point when I can't even see the beauty for myself!?"

The wolf watched in sadness as the prince fell to the floor and starts sobbing. She thought about how she could solve this problem she created, until a certain person came into mind. "Wait, why don't we just get the witch of the forest to fix your eyes!" She said. "But please wait a little bit longer, I promise I'll come back for you." She jumps from the window and runs into the forest, towards the direction where the witch lives. The wolf ran all night until she reached a mansion at the break of dawn. Waiting for her was a small bear who was half white and black in a butler's outfit.

"Upupupup... The Mistress predicted she would be getting a visitor today. Right this way." The bear said, leading the wolf into the mansion. They reached a room filled with all kinds of potions and books and standing in the middle was a girl with wild twin pigtails. "My, my, what an unusual visitor!" The witch started with excitement. "What business does a man eating wolf have coming all this way to my mansion?"

The wolf swallowed hard as she spoke. "Make me human! There's someone I want to bring here!" The witch stared at the creature for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Turn a man eating wolf into a person!? That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!" She opened her eyes to see the wolf snarling at her before calming down. "Alright, alright. I'll grant your wish. But you must give me something in return. Like say... your singing voice!" "M-My singing voice!?" The wolf asked in confusion. Her singing voice was the sole reason she and prince met int he first place...

The wolf thought hard about the decision, and came to a conclusion. "... Alright, I'll give you my singing voice to make me human." The witch clapped her hands together and smiles. "Excellent! Do you have an appearance in mind?" She asked, grabbing her wand from one of the bear butlers. Upon hearing those words, the wolf imagined taking hold of the prince's hand. "... make me a princess." She whispered.

The witch grins as she uses her magic to pull out a puff of smoke surrounded by music notes and puts it in a bottle. She then surrounds the wolf in magic as the wolf starts to take an appearance of a girl. She was wearing a white lace-bonnet with white ribbons and has black hair in two large twin-drill pigtails. She has pale skin, red eyes, and gold circular earrings which have an image depicting the cross engraved into them with a red gem placed in the center in each. She also has long, black nails. She also appears to be wearing a a gothic lolita-style outfit, consisting of a white blouse with a Long-point collar, a white ribbon tied around her neck, a black jacket that includes white ribbon lacing down the sleeves, fastened by a simple white ribbon across her chest to reveal her red tie and the waist of her skirt, which is many-tiered and features white lace. She's also wearing knee-high stockings trimmed in ladder lace, dark red mary janes with a thick heel held on her feet by three grey buckles, a white lace headband and a silver, Gunmetal plated ring layered in overlapping sections on her index finger.

The now human looks at her new appearance in amazement as the witch uses her magic to send her back to the outcrop of the forest. She traveled back to the castle and looks at the two guards at the front gate. "Please let me see the king. I have something to tell him." "Say your name." One of the guards replied. The wolf didn't know what to say, until a name popped into her head. "... My name's Celestia Ludenburg. I'm a princess from a neighboring kingdom."

They guards looked at each other as they escorted her to the king. She bowed to him as she spoke up. "My name's Celestia Ludenburg. I've heard about what happened to your son and I think I know a way to restore his eyes." King looked at the girl in surprise. "Continue." "Deep in the forest is a witch with phenomenon power. If you let me take him where she lives, I'll convince her to restore his eyesight." The king stayed silent for a bit before giving his answer. "... Alright. Just make sure he returns safely." The guards took Celestia to the Prince's room and unlocks the door.

"Just remember, if anything happens to Taka, I'll fucking kill you..." Mondo whispered angrily. Celestia nodded nervously as she opened the door. "Prince!" She said, hugging him. "You're coming with me. I'm gonna escort you to the witch's mansion and recover you eyes." If the prince's eyes weren't damaged, he would be crying happy tears. He returned the hug as he whispered. "Thank you..." Celestia helped Kiyotaka up on his feet as they walked out of the castle.

"By the way, what do they call you? I've never gotten your name." he asked. Celestia stopped, unsure of what she should do. Should she lie? Should she tell him she's the monster that made him blind? She bit her lip as the words left her mouth. "My name's Celestia Ludenburg. I'm a princess from a neighboring kingdom. But you can call me Celeste." "Celeste... What a pretty name. My name's Kiyotaka Ishimaru, but you can call me Taka." Celeste blushed at what Taka said as they walked into the forest. And thus begins the journey of the Queen of Liars and the Blind Prince.

TBC...


	3. The Many Dangers

Celeste and Kiyotaka kept walking until they were in the forest. "The walk to the witch's mansion will take a day or two at least. You think you can handle it?" She asked the prince. "I think we'll get through this forest as long as no monsters come and try to attack us." As soon as Kiyotaka said that, a monster resembling a raccoon walks up to them. It had a hungry look in it's eyes as it bears it's teeth and pounces the duo. "LOOK OUT!!" Celeste cried out, transforming into her wolf form. She cached the creature with her teeth and bites hard into it's body, killing it instantly.

Celeste spits the creature out as she transformed back into her human form. "It's okay. I took care of it." She said, helping him up. "I didn't know you can fight, not that I'm complaining. We'll definitely need it if we're gonna find the witch." Kiyotaka replied. "Yeah, the monsters out here are more violent than before. I wonder if something happened..." Celeste whispered. "I'm not sure... For now we need to get moving before more monsters find us." Said Kiyotaka

"You're right." Was all Celeste said as she takes the prince's hand and leads him deeper into the forest. The walk was silent until they come across a small flower patch. "Why'd we stop?" Kiyotaka asked. "There's a patch of marigold flowers ahead of us." Celeste replied. "Marigold? That's where I used to visit every night before what happened..." The prince said sadly, facing the ground. The wolf looked at the prince and the flowers when an idea popped in her head. "Wait here. I'll be right back." She said before walking up to the patch of marigolds. She picks one up from the patch and walks back to Kiyotaka.

"Here. Even though you can't see it, at least you can still feel it." Celeste said, giving Kiyotaka the flower. He moved his fingers through the petals and smiles. "Thank you." He said, holding the flower close to his heart. they continue the forest until they hear a scream. "Somebody save MEEEE!!!" They run to the source of the voice to see a man with pink eyes and hair, cat ears and a tail in a tree surrounded by dog like creatures.

"... Stay here Taka." Celeste said, letting go of his hand and transformed. She kills the creatures one by one, transforming back into her human form and looks up at the cat creature. She puts a finger to her mouth, signaling him to keep quiet about what happened. he nods as he jumps down and walks up to the two. "Thank you so much for saving me. I'm not sure what's gotten into these monsters lately, they used to be so peaceful. But now they just kill everything in sight."

"Is that what happened to you?" KIyotaka asked. "Yeah." He looks around before asking. "Exactly where're you heading? I'm surprise to see any humans out here from how dangerous things gotten." "We're on our way to see the witch. We believe she could help recover his eyes." Celeste explained. "The Witch!?" The cat creature exclaimed in confusion, recoiling in fear as he took a step back. "B-B-But the path t-to the w-w-witch's mansion has gotten more hazardous lately! The path your taking will lead to your deaths if you keep going that way." Kiyotaka faces the ground, thinking about what the cat creature said.

"... I'm sure that as long as Celeste is by my side, we'll get to the witch's mansion unharmed." He said, looking back up. "... I suppose I can't stop you guys... At least let me show a safer path." The cat creature said, turning around. The princess and prince looked at each other as they start following him. They kept walking until arrived at a snowy area. "Once you get past this part of the forest and the forbidden mountain sides, the witch's mansion should be close."

"We appreciate everything you've for us sir..." Kiyotaka trailed off, unsure what to call him. "Oh how rude of me! I didn't even give you my name after saving me! The name's Kazuichi. I'm a cat monster that lives around this forest." Said Kazuichi, shaking the prince's hand. "Nice to meet you too." Kiyotaka replied. Just as the duo were about to walk away, Kazuichi spoke up again. "And also! If you find a guy named Gundham... Tell him... I'm sorry..." Celeste looked at the questioningly before answering. "We will." They waved goodbye to Kazuichi as they started going down the path.

They kept walking until they heard a growling noise. "What was that?" Celeste asked. "S-Sorry..." Kiyotaka mumbled, blushing while facing the ground. "I... haven't eaten anything since we left the castle." "Well in that case." She leads the prince to a nearby tree stump and helps him sit down on it. "I'll find something for us to eat. There should be something around here." Celeste looks at the area until she spots a pig monster.

She transforms into her wolf form and attacks the pig. Once she made sure the pig monster was dead, she cuts a piece of it off and places it on a big leaf. Celeste then transforms back to human and walks up to the prince. "Here you go. Hope you enjoy." She said cheerfully, handing him the meat. "Thank you." he replied, taking a bite of the food he couldn't see. However, when he was in the middle of chewing, he coughed it out. This shocked the wolf as she kneel down to him. "Are you okay!? What's wrong?" She asked. "It's just... that meat..." Kiyotaka started, coughing a few times.

"It... wasn't cooked. Didn't you know you're supposed to cook meat before eating it?" Celeste just looked at the prince in confusion and back at the meat. "I... couldn't tell the difference." She replied. "Oh I see. You like your meat not fully cooked, but cooked enough to eat. I understand." The wolf didn't know what to make of that. She knew humans were a little weird and different from monsters, but this whole cooking concept was completely new to her.

TBC...


	4. Midnight Waltz

They arrived at a snowy area of the forest, where the ground and trees were blanketed by snow and cold all around. "This is the safer path to the witch's mansion? It's freezing out here!" Celeste exclaimed in anger, wrapping her arms around herself. This wouldn't be a problem if she was in her wolf form. But she couldn't risk exposing her secret to the prince. "It's not as bad as when the winter seasons come. But if we move, I'm sure we won't have to stand in the cold." Celeste didn't need to be told twice as she grabbed Kiyotaka's hand and started speed walking though the snow.

As they made their way though the snowy forest, the prince heard a cry of a wounded animal. "Celeste. Do you hear that?" He asked. Celeste turned to face the prince. "Hear what?" "That animal, it sounds like it's coming over there!" He lets go of Celeste's hand and starts running towards the source of the cry. "Taka wait!" She called out, chasing after him. Kiyotaka kept following the sound until he stopped in front of it.

Celeste finally caught up to the prince to see the animal he heard. It was a raccoon monster laying in the snow, bleeding from a deep claw mark in between the rib and stomach area. "What does it look like?" Kiyotaka asked. "It's a raccoon monster. And it's injured. We might as well put it out of it's misery." Celeste then transforms to her wolf form and prepares to eat the raccoon monster. But she hears Kiyotaka call out. "Don't! We don't have to kill every monster that comes near us. we should help it." The wolf looks at Kiyotaka and back at the raccoon before sighing.

She then transforms back into a human and turns back to him. "Fine, we'll help it." She helps the prince kneel down to the animal to pick it up and wrap it in his cape that was keeping him warm. "Don't worry, we'll find something to heal you." He said to the raccoon. it slightly opened it's eyes to look at the blind man before falling into unconsciousness. They wondered through the cold forest until they came across a wooden house.

"That looks like a good place to stop at." Celeste said. She leads Kiyotaka into the wooden house as she looks around the place. She spots a fireplace and walks up to it, looking for wood to get a fire started. Meanwhile, Kiyotaka sat down on one of the chairs with the raccoon in his arms. once the wolf got a fire going, she looks around the place to find something to patch up the wound. She searched through the cabinets until she found some bandages and a lemon. She walks back to the prince as she uses her claws to slice the lemon in two. "Put it down on the ground. I don't want to risk it waking up and hurting you."

Kiyotaka gently places the raccoon down on the ground as Celeste squeezes the juice out of the lemon. The raccoon stirred in it's slumber, hissing as the juice made contact with the wound. Once the wound was disinfected, she wrapped the bandages around the cut, doing it gently to prevent bringing more pain to it. "There. It should be fine now." Said Celeste, placing the raccoon on the sofa. "But, what monster could've hurt it?" The prince asked.

"I'm not sure... But whatever it is they did a good job leaving that cut." The wolf replied, looking at the resting animal. Meanwhile outside, Mondo in his monster form was watching the two from a window in the house. The king had given him orders to follow the two and protect them in case something goes wrong in their travels. But he was surprised to see the two growing close and learning from each other. "Well at least she's keeping him safe. Better get out of here before they see me." Mondo said to himself as he walked away. But as he went to a nearby tree, he heard a monster growling nearby.

"Who's there?" He called out, pulling out his spear. He looked around at his surroundings but found nothing. Just as he put the spear back, he turned around to come face to face with a dragon like monster. His scream was heard throughout the snowy forest, even through the walls of the wooden house. "That voice... It sounded a lot like Mondo." Kiyotaka said, facing the direction to the door.

"Whatever it was. I need to go check it out. You stay here in case the raccoon wakes up." Celeste said running out of the house. She then transforms into her wolf form and ran to the source of the scream. Eventually, she came across Mondo and the dragon duking it out. The knight was holding his side while blood dripped onto the snow as he dodged the dragon's attack. The wolf ran up from behind the dragon and bit it's tail hard. The dragon roared out in pain as it's attention on Mondo was drawn to Celeste instead. The guard knew this was his chance while the dragon was distracted.

Using his monster strength, Mondo threw the spear through the dragon's heart. Celeste let's go of the tail as the dragon let's out a roar before falling to the ground. Both monsters panted in exhaustion as they both looked at each other. "What were you doing here?" She asked, turning back into her human form. "I was ordered to follow you two in case you two got into trouble. But I was the one that got into trouble..." Mondo replied.

Celeste noticed that Mondo was using his magic to heal the wound on his side. "Before you say anything, I trusted you would keep him safe. But being a guard of the king, I couldn't say no. You can tell him if you want, but don't tell about me being... Y'know." "I won't tell him about you being a monster." Said Celeste. They both walked back to the wooden house as Mondo went behind some trees. The wolf went into the house to see Kiyotaka where he was and a person laying on the sofa in place of the raccoon. "Taka? Did something happened when I was gone?"

"Well I did hear something and someone's voice. They said they were the raccoon we helped and was thankful you didn't end it's life. He wanted to speak with the both of us when you get back." The prince explained. The person stirred a bit before getting up. "So, the both of you are here. Then allow me to introduce myself."

The person had raccoon ears and a tail, proving that the person was indeed the raccoon they saved. it was wearing a long, black jacket that is always left open with the The left sleeve is pulled up to the elbow and held by silver pins and he wears a long purple scarf that often covers his mouth. The back of his jacket, as well as both ends of his scarf have a strange, vertical symbol printed on them. Under his jacket, he wears a white button-up shirt that is also left open, and another shirt under it which is slightly darker and has a greyish-purple cross design across its front.He seems to be wearing normal black pants held up with a black belt and silver buckle, and black boots with numerous straps across them.

The person's skin tone is noticeably pale and greyish compared to other people they've met. His hair is black with streaks of white in it. The form his hair's was similar of that of a raccoon's fur from the head (Pretty much like in the Experiment AU). His eyes consist of one grey and one red pupil. He also has a greyish scar that runs down the left side of his face and through his left eye, and his entire left arm is completely covered in bandages.

"I was once the guardian of this forest and it's creatures. Call me... Gundham Tanaka!!" He exclaimed proudly, wincing in pain a bit from posing bravely. "Guardian of the forest? I think I've heard of you before from one of the guards. You protect the creatures that couldn't protect themselves and even make paths safe enough to make it through the forest." Kiyotaka explained, standing up. "And what do you mean by 'once was?'." Celeste asked. Gundham's smile faded as he signaled the two to sit back down.

"... It all started many moons ago. I was going by usual my business of taking care of the creatures when a strange wave of magic traveled through the forest. The creatures suddenly got violent with me. Me and my mate had to hide for a while when things gotten out of hand. He suggested that we take on human forms and live in the village where it's safe. But I suggested we stay and try to find the source of what's gotten into the creatures."

"Your... Mate?" Kiyotaka asked. "By mate I mean a partner I'm tied to by love. But our disagreement of what to do led to an argument, ending with him leaving the forest. I regret not going after him and try to come up with a plan together. He's probably far away from the forest now..." The raccoon man said, sadness mixed in his tone. "Actually, he's still somewhere in the forest. We ran into him a while back." Said Celeste. Gundham looked up at the wolf, hope shining in his eyes. "Really? Did he by any chance have ears and a tail of a feline?" "If you mean a cat. Then yes." Celeste replied.

"That's my mate! He's still in the forest!? That means those hostile creatures are out there too. Hang on Kazuichi, your mate's on his way!!" Gundham declared, running out of the house. "This is bad. He still hasn't recovered from his injury. So he could be putting himself and Kazuichi in danger!" Kiyotaka exclaimed in worry. "... Alright, we'll go rescue them and be on our way to the witch's mansion." Celeste replied, taking the prince's hand and leading him outside. She see's footprints in the snow and starts following the trial.

~~~

They kept following the trail until they came across a scene. Gundham and Kazuichi were surrounded by bear monsters with glowing red eyes. Gundham was laying unconscious in the snow, bleeding from his wound while Kazuichi had tears in his eyes as he tried to wake him up. "... Taka, stay here. I'll let you know when it's safe." Celeste said, letting go of his hand. She then transforms into her wolf form and attacks the bears.

Even though the odds were four to one, she still managed to bite into their necks to kill them. She transforms back into human form as she turned around to look at the two people she saved. She saw Kazuichi holding Gundham close to his body, as if to keep him warm. Celeste walks up to them and feels for the raccoon's pulse. "... he's still alive, but his pulse is weak. We need to get back to the house." She said, running up to the prince and taking his hand. The cat man hoisted the raccoon man on his back as he followed the two back to the wooden house.

~~~

The first thing Gundham saw was the roof of the wooden house. "Guys, he's awake!" Said a familiar voice. He turned his head to see the man he grew to love, Kazuichi. "K... Kazuichi?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. "It's okay Gundham, we're safe." Kazuichi said, hugging him. "I'm so sorry about leaving you. You were trying to do your job as guardian and wanted to help the creatures. But I didn't take that into consideration and only thought about me and you-"

He was interrupted when he felt soft lips on his. He melted into the kiss as their tails intertwined with each other. Eventually, they broke from the kiss as Gundham spoke up. "No, I thought more about the creatures more than you. So I was pretty much in the wrong as much as you..." "But you were right with trying to find the source of what made the creatures violent. And I was just being a coward... but not anymore." The raccoon man looked at the cat in confusion as he spoke up again. "I'm gonna stay by your side and help you find out the cause."

Celeste and Kiyotaka were standing by the fireplace, smiling that the two lovers had made up. "Miss Celestia." Gundham called out. "May I have a word with you alone?" "S...sure?" She replied, feeling like a kid who's in trouble. They walk outside of the house as Gundham stares at Celeste. "... Okay, what'd you want to ta-" "Transform into your true form." Celeste was taken back by the sudden seriousness in his voice, and didn't want to disobey.

She transform into her wolf form, making Gundham kneel down to her level. "... I know who you are. You were that wolf cub I helped years ago, when your parents were hunted." Celeste felt tears stinging her eyes as she turned away from the raccoon man. "I don't want to talk about it." "And we won't. I just want to know why you want to keep this a secret from your blind friend." Celeste didn't know how to answer that, except telling the truth. "If he found out I was the monster that took his eyesight away... He wouldn't want to see me ever again..."

Gundham looked at the wolf before turning her head to look at him. "I understand why you chose to lie. But you can't keep this from him forever. He'll find out eventually and won't be mad because of what you are, but because you lied to him." Celeste faced the ground, taking in what Gundham said to her. "I'll tell him... but not right now." Gundham sighed as he stood up and walks towards the door. "Very well. I won't tell your friend if you do something for me."

"And what would that be?" She asked, transforming back into a human. "... Perform the Midnight Waltz with me and Kazuichi." Celeste's eyes widened when he said that. She'd seen humans perform the Midnight Waltz for festivals and other occasions, but doing it because Gundham asked for it came across as suspicious. "Why?" "The path to the witch's mansion from here is guarded by a once peaceful dragon. I've tried to send it away to somewhere else, But you saw my wound from that fight. I've discovered that the Midnight Waltz calms the dragon. If we perform it for the beast, you can continue your quest."

Celeste looks out into the forest. She's always wanted to perform the Midnight Waltz ever since she was a cub, but she never thought she would perform under these circumstances. "... Alright, we'll perform the Midnight Waltz." The raccoon man gave a grin and replies enthusiastically. "Excellent. Follow me as we tame this mythical beast together!" Kazuichi and Kiyotaka heard him as the cat man helped the prince outside. "What's going on?" He asked. "I'll explain on the way..." Celeste said, taking his hand.

~~~

After a long walk, the four of them made it to where the dragon was supposed to be and the path to the witch's mansion. "Before we start, is there a reason why you two want to see the witch?" Gundham asked. "I'm escorting him to the witch so she can restore his eyes. Since a monster attacked him." Kazuichi eyes widened at what Celeste just said. "I see... Well once we calm this dragon, we wish you two the best of luck."

Just as Gundham finished his sentence, the dragon Celeste fought flew down to them. It had a scar on it's chest where Mondo threw his spear at. It's eyes were glowing red as it looked down at the four with a hungry look. "Taka, I don't know if I can do this... I've never danced before." Celeste whispered. "It's alright. just place your hand on my shoulder and follow my lead." The prince replied, taking the wolf's hand and placing his other hand on her waist. She smiled as she did what she was told and started following his lead. Kazuichi and Gundham followed as the moon shined on them like a spotlight.

"Doesn't this bring back memories when we first met?" Kazuichi asked, following Gundham's lead in the waltz. "How could I forget? We performed this very dance at a festival, you were only a kitten and I was a kit." Gundham replied, smiling at the memory of meeting his mate. As they continue to do the Midnight Waltz, the two lovers realized how much they missed each other when they were separated and secretly made a promise to keep the other safe.

Meanwhile, Celeste was trying her best to keep up with Kiyotaka and predict where to move next. "Am... Am I doing good?" She asked quietly. "For never dancing before, you're doing great." He replied. The wolf smiled slightly and held onto the prince tighter. "... Hey Taka? Can I ask you something? How would you feel if... I told you I was lying about something? Would you still like me?" She asked nervously. "Well that depends on how big the lie is. If there's one thing I don't like is how dishonest people can be. They should just be honest without fearing what others would think." The prince explained.

Celeste felt her throat tighten when she heard what he said. "If only you knew why I had to lie..." She thought, shutting her eyes as they waltzed. The dragon sat quietly, watching the two couples dance under the moonlight. The way the lead handles the other with such delicacy, even though one of them is blind, was mesmerizing. It's eyes slowly start to revert to their original colors as Gundham started to take notice.

"It seems the waltz is working. Time for the finale." He said, keeping a firm grip on his partner. Kiyotaka nodded in response as he spoke. "It's time for the end of the waltz. just keep following my lead." The wolf just nodded as she held onto him. Both leads stopped moving as they spun their partners around four times before dipping them slightly. Celeste saw how the moonlight shone on the prince's hair and his body, making her blush from her cheeks. She slowly leaned up as her lips touched his, making them share a sweet but wonderful kiss. The prince blushed as well as they break apart from the kiss.

Once the Midnight Waltz was completed, Dragon licked the raccoon man's face and moved out of the way. "It seems the waltz has helped the dragon come to it's senses. We'll be off learning what's going on while you two reach the witch. Good luck." Was all Gundham said as he and Kazuichi waved goodbye to them. "Hey Celeste. About that kiss." Kiyotaka started, but was cut off by her. "I'm sorry... I was caught up in the moment... Just forget about it." She said as they walked deeper into the forest.

TBC...


	5. Struggles of Being a Monster

Celeste now realized how far they've come when she saw they were no longer in the snowy part of the forest. Instead they were in a much warmer part of the forest, surrounded by thorns. "The witch's mansion shouldn't be far now. I recognize these parts." Said Celeste. They kept walking until The wolf heard a yawn coming from the prince. "Are you tired? We can find a place to sleep in." "A... Alright." Kiyotaka replied drowsily. Celeste looked around to find a suitable place to sleep in until she spots a huge tree. There was a hole leading inside on the tree where it looked clean of leaves and dirt.

She leads the prince inside and started making a makeshift bed out of leaves. "There. This should be comfortable enough for you to sleep on." Celeste said, helping him lay down on the leafy bed with his head resting on her lap. "Hey Celeste." Kiyotaka started. "Can you tell me a bit about your family? I wish to know more about you." Celeste looked down at the ground with a worried look.

What should she do in this situation? Should she lie again? should she just tell him they died? At least she wouldn't be lying in a way. "... How about in lieu of that, I'll tell you a story." Celeste said, remembering the story her parents told her. "Once upon a time, there were two wolves that lived in this very forest. Before they met, they thought they were the only wolf in the forest. But as if it was destiny, the two wolves meet when they were hunting for the same prey. At first they hated each other and got into a fight for letting their dinner escape."

"But after a while they cooled down enough to where they can speak calmly. They apologized to each other for getting angry over something stupid, saying it was in a wolf's nature. Eventually, they started talking and found out they had more in common than they thought. They started living happily together in a cave where no one could bother them. As months passed by, they had a wolf cub, and the small family lived peacefully."

"But... one day, when they were trying to teach the cub how to hunt, they heard gunshots. realizing what it was, they try to run back to their den as quick as they could. But the hunter spotted them. They quickly hid their cub before the hunter could catch up to them. They tried their best to fight off the hunter... but they were no match for him as silver bullets were shot into their throats. The wolf cub watched in horror as she watched the hunter dragged the bodies of her parents away. She was left alone in the forest... Until a kind half human half monster found her and took her to safety."

"As the halfling walked through the forest carrying the cub, he asked her where were her parents. She said they were taken by a man carrying a gun. The halfling knew what she meant by that and knew where he was going to go. He took her to an open field where she would be safe and have plenty of food to survive. Years passed, and that wolf grown from a wolf cub to a beautiful young wolf. But she also grew lonely without a friend..."

Kiyotaka stayed silent for a bit, letting the story sink in before speaking up. "I'm sorry... about your parents. I know how that feels..." It took a bit for Celeste to realize what he meant by that. "I'm sorry..." She whispered. When they got comfortable to sleep, The prince spoke up. "And about that kiss. I didn't hate it or anything like that, I was just surprised is all... Truth is, I think I really like you... a lot..." He then fall asleep, leaving Celeste with what he said. "He... he really likes me..." She muttered, staying quiet to prevent waking him. Eventually, she too falls asleep.

~~~

A young girl with short, pale mauve hair which is slightly curled. Wearing a dress made of leaves. In her arms was a white rabbit with two upright ears accessorized with a pink bow. Wearing a pink and white skirt, a pink bib with white hems, and a gold necklace. The girl walked through the forest until she spots a big tree. "What's wrong Chiaki?" The rabbit asked, looking up. "There's someone in that tree. I can feel it."

Chiaki walks up to the tree until she see's Celeste and Kiyotaka sleeping in the tree. "Oh my goodness! I've seen that boy before!" The rabbit said panickedly. "You have?" "Yeah! He's the prince of the kingdom surrounded by this forest. I wonder why he's out here when it's gotten so dangerous around here." Chiaki took a few steps forward to get a closer look at the two, until she heard the prince waking up. "H... Hello? Who's there?" He asked, sounding a little scared. "It's okay, we're not gonna harm you or your friend. We just wanna know why you're sleeping in this tree." Chiaki said calmly, kneeling down.

Celeste stirred in her sleep as she open her eyes to see the girl and rabbit. "Who are you two?" Celeste asked, bearing her fangs. "I'm Chiaki. And this rabbit is Usami." "Very nice to meet you!" Usami said excitedly, jump from Chiaki's arms and into Kiyotaka's. "I'm Celeste, and this is Kiyotaka. We're on our way to the witch's mansion to see if she could heal his eyes after a monster attacked him." "The... witch?" Usami asked nervously, pulling her ears down to hide her face.

"That witch is nothing but evil! Chiaki here can explain why." Usami said angrily, pointing at her friend. "A long time ago before either of you were born. There used to a small village where humans, monsters, and halflings lived in peace. And then there was me and Usami, the previous witch of the forest. But everything changed when Junko, another witch like me, cast a curse on me. My magic was sealed away as she took my place as witch of the forest. She used her magic to spread despair across the village, and corrupt the monsters and halflings to kill the humans. Years later the humans that survived the attack grew a kingdom. But they still feared the monsters that lurked every corner of the forest..."

"Me and Chiaki here are wondering the forest to find a way to lift the curse off of her, so we can take back the title and restore peace!" The Rabbit said bravely. Celeste looked at the prince in worry, fearing the power of the witch if she were to get on her bad side. "If you do get to the witch, whistle for us and we'll come." Chiaki said, picking up Usami and getting up. "We wish you luck on your journey." She walks away from the tree with Usami waving goodbye at them.

~~~

After resting up in the tree, the two kept walking through the forest. Only stopping for a few to rest their legs. During one of their breaks, Kiyotaka lifted his head up. "Hey Celeste, I know this may not be a good time... But can I hear you sing? It's been a while but I wish to at least hear that beautiful voice." Celestia felt a chill go down her spine. The memory of gaining the ability to transform from wolf to human at the cost of her singing voice resurfaced in her mind. What should she do? Should she decline? Should she at least try singing a bit. "A... Alright. But it's been awhile so I might be rusty."

She clears her throat as she started singing a melody. At least, she tried to. Whenever she try to sing a verse or vocalize, it always came out as a sour note. Once she stopped singing, Celeste felt dread filling up chest. She was unsure of how he would react. "I... I'm sorry. Maybe a drink of water would help." "Celeste? Are you okay?" Kiyotaka asked, reaching out to her. "I'm fine. There's a stream nearby, so please wait for me here." Was all she said as she walked away.

"... It's really gone..." She whispered, turning into her wolf form as she sat down on the ground. "My singing voice. The one thing that brought us together is really gone." Celeste looks down at paws and scratches the ground with her claws. "These claws... They do nothing but destroy and kill others. Unlike human hands, so gentle and sweet, can help and heal instead of hurt." She looks at the river to see her reflection, seeing that she was crying. "This me, is the real me." She transformed back into a human. "Not this... human form I've become."

Celeste wipes the tears away as she got a handful of water and gulped it down. "Gundham said I should tell Taka the truth about who I really am. But when will that chance come? Soon? Never? Now...?" She questioned herself. She stood up as she walked back to where the prince was. "I'm back. Sorry if I was gone for so long." "It's okay. But I'm more worried about you. You sounded upset, you're not hurt are you?"

This surprised the wolf. She thought he would question why she doesn't sound good like when they first met, which she was glad for. "You're... not upset about my singing?" "Why would I be upset over that? It must be something you caught that's affecting your throat. When all this is over, I'll get the royal nurse to make something to help." Celeste felt new tears flowing down her cheeks, feeling so touched by the prince's selflessness. She pulled him into a hug as she whispered. "I'm fine... I've never been given so much kindness before... Even before becoming royalty."

TBC...


	6. The Truth Comes Out

Back with Gundham and Kazuichi, they were trying to get to the witch's mansion to ask what had she done to make the animals so hostile. At first, the halfling cat was hesitant to visit the witch in fear of what she might do to them. But he knows that his mate will do anything to keep both of them safe, magic or no magic. "You think those two we met earlier are safe?" Kazuichi asked, clinging onto Gundham's arm. "I'm sure they will make it through alright. I'm just worried about that Celestia girl." Gundham replied. "Why's that?" "Well, do you see the moon in the sky?"

The Raccoon man pointed a finger to the sky, making Kazuichi look up. They see that the moon is now red instead of it's usual color. "It's been a full century since the last time the Blood-Moon has appeared." Said Gundham. "Blood... moon?" Kazuichi questioned. "It's something my grandfather told me when I was a kit. It has the power to weaken magic and unmask creatures that's been exposed to magic for who they really are." "Wait... So does that mean we can't transform when we get into trouble?" Kazuichi asked, his cat ears drooping a bit. "I'm afraid so. So it's best that we be careful." Was all Gundham said as they continued onward.

~~~

Celeste and Kiyotaka were walking along a path that felt too familiar to the wolf. "We're almost there Taka, just a few more miles." Said Celeste. As they were making their way through the trail, a wonderful aroma filled the air. "Mmm... What's that?" The Prince asked, looking around. "That must the nearby flowers that grows around here. They're the witch's favorites." Celeste replied, looking at the patch of Chocolate Cosmos where the scent was coming from.

"... If you want, I could pick one for you." She asked, letting go of his hand. "... If you don't mind." She nodded as she went over to get a flower. But as she picked one, she slowly felt herself transform back into a wolf under the effects of the Blood-Moon. "Wh... What?" She said aloud, looking at her body. Celeste tried to transform back into a human but found that she doesn't have the strength to do so. "Something wrong Celeste?" Kiyotaka asked, looking worried. "Y-Yeah... I'll be right over." She replied. She walked slowly towards him, the flower in her mouth as beads of nervous sweat coated her fur.

"Okay... Here's the flower..." Celeste said hesitantly, slowly handing Kiyotaka the flower. And then, clouds started to cover the sky, blocking the moonlight completely. Celeste transforms back into a human again, looking at herself in confusion. "W...What happened?" She thought, taking the flower out of her mouth and finally handing him it. "Was it... the moon that caused that to happen?" She thought to herself, looking up to the cloud covered sky.

Kiyotaka held the flower in his hand, feeling the petals as the smell was stronger. "What a sweet flower. Both scent and feeling." he said, facing down at the flower. "Yeah, although it's not as good as lavender roses." Said Celeste. "There are roses in the forest?" "Yeah, there're many different types of flowers in the forest. I suppose you don't travel far from the kingdom from how dangerous the forest became?" The prince only nodded in response. "Well once this all blows away, I'll take you around the forest to show you all the different flowers that it has to offer." "... I would like that Celeste." Kiyotaka said, grasping her hands.

~~~

They continue their walk, until they finally arrived at the witch's mansion. "... We're finally here." Celeste said, looking up at the beautifully decorated mansion in front of them. She saw a surprising sight on the front lawn of the mansion. The witch of the forest was just standing there, looking up at the sky as two of her bear servants were fanning her with big leaves while another was serving her a drink.

"Oh? Look who finally showed up!" The witch said, shoving her servants aside and walks up to the duo. "Were you... waiting for us?" Kiyotaka asked, tilting his head to the side. "Of course! Celly here said she wanted to bring someone over for me to fix them. And she wasn't kidding!" she explained, placing her hands on his cheeks and moving her thumbs back and forth. The prince felt uncomfortable by the action, even if he couldn't see her face. The wolf caught on to this and got in between them. "Well now that brought him here like I said, can you fix his eyes?"

The witch takes a good look at the prince behind Celeste, thinking as she replied. "... I can! But you'll have to do something for me in return." She summons a red lily flower in her hand gives it to Celeste. "Just give him this flower right here!" Celeste stared at the witch with complete confusion. that's all? That's all she has to do for the witch to heal Kiyotaka's eyes? She didn't want to pass this up as she takes the flower and turns to the prince.

The witch wickedly grin as she uses her magic to part the clouds that was blocking the moon. The moon cast a red light across the area as it reached Celeste. Her hands slowly reverted back to wolf paws, with Kiyotaka feeling the fur and claws. he gasped, stepping away as he frantically looked around. "T-That monster... The one that made me blind... It's around here! I felt it's claws!" The prince was starting to hyperventilate as he frantically moved his head to find the monster, his mind was starting to race as many thoughts clouded any common sense.

And then it hit him. The monster appeared when Celeste was giving him the lily. Kiyotaka lifted his head up to face the now transformed wolf. "... Celeste? You're the monster that made me blind?" He asked. The question made her flinch as she whimpered. The wolf noises coming from her was more than enough to convince him that she was. "Celeste... why...?" The prince whispered. "WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME ABOUT THIS!?"

The sight of the two made the witch moan in delight as the bear servants fanned her at fast speed. "OOOhh yes~! The sight of this despair! It's enough to bring me to my knees!" Celeste turned to face the witch, eyes widened at what she said. "W...What? Despair?" "I never was gonna heal your friend's eyes to begin with. I only made the deal to see what despair would come of it. Even though most of your journey was tooth rotting comfort, the despair at the end where he finds out you're the cause to his blindness, was worth the wait." The wolf stared at complete shock, unable to move as she asked again.

"You... You only took my request... just so you could see me in despair?" "In a nutshell, yes. Besides, even with a beautiful singing voice like yours, who could ever love a lying, man eating beast like you from the-" The witch was silent when a spear pierced through her body. A broken looking Celeste slowly turned around to see Mondo in his monster form standing next to Kiyotaka. "Are you two alright?" He asked. "Mondo!" He called out, hugging the guard tightly.

He turned his head when he heard fast footsteps coming and stopping beside him. Gundham, Kazuichi and Chiaki holding Usami gasped when they saw the spear in the witch's body. "Oh god... Is... is she?" The cat man tried to asked, but couldn't get the words out. "No, she's using her magic to heal herself." Chiaki replied, holding Usami close to her. "It seems that even with the Blood-Moon out, her magic is still as strong as ever." Said Gundham. "But... How do you know that...?" Celeste asked blankly, staring at the ground.

Kazuichi noticed one of the servants charging at her with a knife in it's paw and swiftly got her out of the way. "The reason why That she-witch not affected is because she's been absorbing the forest's life energy!" Gundham declared. "Absorbing... the forest's life?" The prince questioned, his grip on Mondo loosening a bit. "The reason why there are so many monsters with magic is because of the life energy the forest gives out. But Junko Enoshima has been taking it all for herself to power up her magic and making all the animals violent." Usami explained.

A little giggle caught their attention as they see Junko slowly get up, her giggling soon turning into deranged laughter as she pulls the spear from her body and throwing it aside. "IT'S TRUE! IT'S ALL TRUE!! I WANT EVERY LAST SOUL IN THIS DAMNED FOREST TO TASTE DESPAIR!! AND NOW HERE WE ARE!!" Junko pulls out her wand and uses it to surround herself with trees. "I'LL BURN THIS FOREST TO THE GROUND AND THEN THE KINGDOM IN THE MIDDLE!! SAY GOODBYE BITCHES!!" She merges herself in the trees into one giant bear monster. She slams her fist on the ground, causing a fire to start and knocking everyone to different parts of the now burning forest.

TBC...


	7. Saving the Forest

The smell of smoke covered the entire forest as it reached the wolf's nose. She woke up to see fire has lit the trees and animals of many kind trying to get away. "What... happened?" She asked herself, getting up. The memories from earlier resurfaced, Junko, how the fire started, The prince finding out her secret... "... Taka!" She said suddenly. She frantically looked around for any signs of him, but found nothing.

"I gotta find him before it's too late." She starts running throughout the burning forest, avoiding the falling trees as she searched for the blind prince. She was about to give up until she saw a bit of white from the corner of her eye. She turned to see him unconscious, his clothes torn and burnt from the nearby fire. Celeste ran up to him, grasping the cape in her mouth as she pulled him to safety. Once they were out of harm's way, The wolf placed her paw on his chest in an attempt to wake him. "Taka! Please get up! This forest is on fire!" She called out, tears streaming down her face.

"... Nnng..." The prince stirred awake as he slowly sat up. He caught a whiff of smoke and tensed up. "Smoke? Is the forest on fire?!" He asked frantically, looking around. "Yes Taka! But right now we need to find the-" Celeste started, but stopped when she saw Kiyotaka face her. "You! You didn't answer my question!" He said, anger in his tone. "Why did you lie to me about who you really were?"

Celeste felt the pit of her stomach drop. She looked away from he prince as she gritted her teeth. She took a deep breath, she knew she couldn't lie her way out of this one. "The only reason I lied was to protect you. I thought if you knew who I really was, you would've gotten scared and never wanted to see me again. Gundham told me to tell you the truth, but when you told me how much you hated dishonestly, I just couldn't. I thought if I told you... You wouldn't want to be my friend anymore." She found herself weeping, fat tears rolling down her face as she tried to wipe them away.

She felt two hands grasp her head as she also felt two thumbs wiping away her tears. She opened her eyes to see the prince smiling sadly at her. "Celeste... I never knew what stress you were going through. But we'll talk about this later, right now we need to find the others." Celeste nodded as she looked up at the sky, seeing that the Blood Moon was nowhere to be found. She transformed into her human form with no problems as she took his hand and start walking.

~~~

Chiaki slowly awoken to find herself in Mondo's strong arms, who was limping as he walked with Usami on his shoulder. "M...Mondo?" She asked groggily. "Oh thank god you're not dead. That bitch Junko started a fire, and the others are no where to be found." Mondo explained, gently settling her down. Chiaki looked at her surroundings, seeing the animals trying to run away from the fire as fast as they could. She covered her mouth as she started weeping. "It's all my fault. If only I knew what dark intentions Junko had, none of this would've never happened!"

Usami jumped off of Mondo's shoulder and hugged the witch. "It's not your fault Chiaki! I also couldn't sense the evil within her as well. She fooled us all." The rabbit said, hugging Chiaki's arm. Mondo kneel down to her and placed a hand of her shoulder. "Listen to me Chiaki. I may not know you that well, but not everyone's perfect. I may look like a guard for the king, but I'm actually a monster. I plan on telling the prince once this is all over. Right now we need to find the others and find a way to defeat that witch." Chiaki looked up at him with glassy eyes, giving him a small smile as she stood up.

"... Alright. Let's go save the forest."

~~~

Meanwhile, Gundham and Kazuichi were helping the animals escape the fire as best they could. Even though they couldn't save all of them, helping the remaining numbers surviving was better than nothing. As they helped the animals escape, they spot Kiyotaka and Celeste nearby. "Hey! Over here!" Kazuichi called out, gaining their attention. "We're so glad we found you. from the sound of it neither of you are hurt?" The prince asked.

"No, we're not luckily. But sadly we can't say the same for the animals..." Gundham replied, looking over at a dead deer. They felt the ground shaking as they see Junko inching closer to them. "It's her!" Kazuichi cried. "How're we gonna stop her from reaching the kingdom!?" The prince asked frantically. "... I know how." Chiaki started, walking up to them with Mondo behind her. "I can seal her away for good with what magic I have left. But I need all of you to weaken her enough for the spell to work. Can I count on all of you to save this forest?" The witch asked, determination hinted in her voice.

The answer was obvious to them. This forest was their home, it would be a crime to just let it burn down along with a kingdom. They nodded in response as Usami cheered. "I knew you all had good in you. Love love~" The rabbit twirled around and transforms into a magic staff. Chiaki grabbed it as a faint magic glow surrounds her. "Me and Kazuichi will attack the front, Mondo and Celestia will come in to attack once she's distracted." Said Gundham.

"Alright, then I'll stay here with Chiaki..." Kiyotaka admitted sadly, wishing he could be more help. Celeste gave him a sad look before following the others towards the giant bear to execute the plan. Junko looks down to see them still alive, only to laugh at them. " **UPUPUPUPUPU!! YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!? WHATEVER, I'LL KILL YOU ALL LIKE THE PATHETIC HALFLINGS YOU ARE!** " The comment alone was enough to anger the raccoon man. "We are more than just half human half animal! we are not some things you can control for your own pleasure!" He yelled angrily.

Gundham's bandaged arm starts to transform into a raccoon's as the fabric tears and falls like a lizard shedding it's skin. A transformed Kazuichi was climbing the twisted and formed trees on Juko's body, searching for some sort of weak spot. "You've ruined many lives because of your selfish desires! not only did you turn the animals violent, but split me and Gundham apart! And that's something I can  **NEVER**  forgive you for..."

He spots a pink glowing circle on the knee cap of the monster. Sensing magic from it, he attacks the circle as the evil witch cried out in pain. "But the monsters isn't the only kind of species you've ruined. You've made the humans fear our kind! Forcing us to blend in as one of them so we wouldn't be killed on the spot!" Mondo exclaimed in anger, throwing spears at the now distracted witch. He remembered how the humans reacted when they saw him in his monster form. screaming in fear as they called him a monster, weapons being thrown at him as he ran away. Now he can take his anger out on the witch for causing him pain.

What Mondo said caught the prince's attention. Was he a monster too? But before he could think anymore about it, he heard something digging in the ground just underneath him. "Taka look out!!" Celeste called out in her wolf form. She pushes him to the ground just before tendril like roots shoot up from the ground. "W-Wha...!?" Kiyotaka stuttered, but was interrupted by Junko's booming voice.

" **I'D THOUGHT I WOULD GET ONE LAST TASTE OF DESPAIR BEFORE MY DEMISE! I CAN JUST IMAGINE IT!! ME KILLING HIM OFF, THE MAN EATING WOLF BREAKING DOWN AS I SQUISH HER INTO NOTHING! OOOHHH I CAN'T TAKE IT!!** " Tendrils popped up left and right as they trapped Gundham, Kazuichi and Mondo to where they couldn't escape. Thinking quickly, Celeste turns into her human form and grabbed Kiyotaka's hand. "I have an idea, but you have to trust me on this." She said. The prince nodded, thinking the same thing of what she's planning.

They start running towards the witch, dodging the tendrils as they ran towards the witch. "You lied to my face... You promised to heal his eyes when in reality you only wanted to see me suffer from not finding love..." The wolf said angrily, seeing all the tendrils are now aiming towards the witch. "You're evil... You're disgusting... You're not a witch..." Summoning the loudest voice she could muster, she transformed in her wolf form and picked up the prince on her back.

" **YOU'RE AN INSANE BITCH!!!"**

The tendrils shoot up from the ground as the wolf ran away from the attack as quick as she could with Kiyotaka on her back. The evil witch cried out in pain as the tendrils dig into her form and through her skin. Chiaki had gather just enough energy to seal Junko away once and for all as a wave of light blue magic flowed from her staff. The evil witch cried out as she shrank down from her giant size, reduced to nothing but a small tree that has yet to fully grow.

~~~

Chiaki breathed heavily as she uses her magic to summon rain clouds to douse the raging fire. The prince and wolf, transformed in her human form, stepped out from hiding as they see the fire slowly dying down from the rain. They also see their friends breaking out from the tendrils trapping them as they helped them up. "Are you all okay?" Kiyotaka asked worriedly. "Yeah, just a few scratches and bruises." Kazuichi replied, walking over to Gundham. "Wait... where's Chiaki!?" Mondo asked, looking around for the young witch. "Hey hey, I'm right here."

Kazuichi jumped slightly from the voice behind him. Chiaki was no longer wearing a leaf dress, but a beautiful, light blue witch dress. "I must thank you all for helping me. Now that Junko's gone, I can start working on restoring the forest." She said, looking at the burnt down trees. "But first, there's something I need to do." Chiaki turns to the prince and wolf with a sad smile on her face. "You both came all this way for his eyes to be fixed." She started.

"But like always, magic doesn't work like that. In order for me to heal his eyes, you must give me something in return for me to heal his eyes." "But... but I don't have anything else to offer. I already gave my singing voice to that bitch to make me human..." Celeste explained sadly, not caring if Kiyotaka heard any of it. She didn't want to lie to him again, and she knew he had to find out eventually. "But... there's still one thing you have. Your memories." This answer shocked Celeste. Her memories? "What does my memories have to offer?" She asked curiously.

"Your memories of your first encounter to your journey with him gives off powerful magic. Not to mention your ability to transform, but it's your choice. Do you want to give up your memories AND ability to heal his eyes?" Celeste pondered at what the witch said. Should she give up her memories of him and her ability just to heal his eyes? Or refuse...? No, she couldn't. She's not that selfish to keep him blind just to stay together, especially after everything they've been through.

"... Alright, I offer my memories and ability to heal Taka's eyes." She said soberly. Chiaki nodded sadly as she gets ready to cast the spell. "Wait!" The prince called out. "There isn't any other way? I... I don't want her to forget everything we've been through! Because..." He trailed, sobbing at the thought of never being with her again. "Listen, I've seen wolf monsters like her before. So you will see her again. Just listen to me..." She whispers in his ear, earning a nod in response as he backed away. "Can I at least say goodbye to her?" "Of course." The witch replied, leading him to Celeste.

"Taka, before she heals your eyes... I just wanna say I'm sorry, for lying to you this whole time. But it wasn't all a lie, I've really felt like I was with my parents again. I've forgotten what it was like to love someone... Until I met you." "And, I believe I owe you an apology as well. You clearly had a reason to lie. You taught me to never fear the dark, never fear moments when I can't see clearly. So, I'm sorry about not thinking about what you were feeling and..."

"I love you..."

He pulls her into one final kiss. It felt honest and sweet, like tasting honey for the first time. The other three that were watching had tears in their eyes, with Kazuichi burying his face in Gundham's jacket as he held the cat man close and Mondo trying to wipe away the tears. The prince stepped away, nodding to Chiaki to cast the spell. She nods back as she surrounds Celeste with green magic, making her transform back into a wolf, her true self. A string of white magic flew out of her head and surrounds Kiyotaka's eyes, making him fall to the ground and passing out.

To Be Concluded...


	8. Epilogue

In the village of the kingdom, the citizens were working on cleaning the town after the fire that mysteriously started had been put out. The king was taking a walk through the village to see the cleaning progress. He then spots Mondo in his monster form carrying Kiyotaka bridal style, his eyes widening as he ran towards the two. But he stops when he notices the appearance of the guard. "Yeah, I'm actually half monster. You gonna let that stop you from seeing your son?" Mondo asked. He sees the prince slowly awakening as he set him down on the ground.

Kiyotaka sat up as he saw the now loosened bandages hanging on his face. He also saw the village and his father kneeling next to him. "Father..." He whispered. His father did nothing but embraced him in a tight hug. "I thought you wouldn't return..." He let go as he stood up, looking around the village. "Say, where's that Celestia girl that was with you?" Kiyotaka and Mondo looked at each other worriedly as they face the king. "About her... She..."

~~~

Months passed since that day, and the kingdom grew stronger than ever. Humans and Halflings now live with each other in peace once again, thanks to Chiaki and Kiyotaka. Halflings were no longer afraid to hide who they really are, and the monsters grew gentle now that Junko was gone. The tree she was sealed away in steadily grew, and spreads grace and hope within it's aroma instead of despair. Everyone was living in peace once again... Except one. Kiyotaka was looking through the window in his room, staring out into the forest as one person came into his mind.

"Celeste..." He whispered. He had told his father about who she really was and why she lied, and he surprisingly took it well. "... Must be pretty lonely out there. Especially since her memories were removed." He said to himself. He remembered her promising to take him around the forest to show him the many different flowers that lived there. Clenching his fists, he stood up as he walked through the castle halls.

He smiled and waved at the servants and guards that passed by him, doing the same to some of the villagers as he enters the forest. He enters the snowy part of the forest as he looks around the snow covered trees. He heard from Mondo that Gundham and Kazuichi chose to stay in the forest to take care of the animals and to make sure another fire doesn't start. He spots the pinkette walking through as he called out. "Hey Kazuichi!" The Halfling cat turned to see the prince and smiles. "Hey Kiyotaka. It's been awhile." "Kazuichi, do you know if any flowers grow around here?"

The question confused Kazuichi, making him tilt his head. "Flowers? Well I just got done collecting snowdrop flowers for Gundham and I to decorate our new home. But giving up one wouldn't hurt, so here." The half cat reached into his makeshift bag and pulls out a snowdrop flower, handing it to the prince. "Thank you so much. And tell Gundham I said hi." Was all the prince said as he took off. He looked behind him to see a small child with cat ears, black hair and pink highlights, pink eyes and sharp teeth poking out of the bag Kazuichi was holding waving at him.

~~~

Kiyotaka continued his quest to collecting various flowers around the forest. from snapdragons to crocus flowers, he collected them. He even got Celeste's favorite flower, lavender rose. He followed the path that leads to the outcrop where they met. The prince looked down to see the patch of Marigold flowers, where he used to go to. He bends down and picked one, remembering when they started their journey to the witch's mansion.

" _Here. Even though you can't see it, at least you can still feel it._ "

"... Thank you."

~~~

On a rocky outcrop deep in the forest, there lived a wolf with black fur and eyes as red as blood. She would always try her best to sing a song into the night. But no matter what she did, she just couldn't sound right. After giving up on trying to improve, the wolf falls flat on the ground and looks out into the forest. The forest has always been peaceful ever since she can remember, especially since the forest was ruled over by a kind, gentle witch. She wanted to leave the outcrop and look for a friend she always wanted. But who would ever want to be friends with a man eating wolf like herself?

She was taken out of her thoughts when she saw a boy with black hair, a crown, and fancy looking clothes climbing the outcrop and reaching the top. The wolf took a few steps back as she stared at the boy's eyes. Those eyes, they were also red, similar to hers in fact. She saw that the boy was smiling at her as he was holding something behind his back. Assuming it was a weapon, she gets into fighting position and snarled.

"It's okay." The boy started. "I'm not here to hurt you. My name's Kiyotaka Ishimaru, I'm a prince." Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the name sounded oddly familiar. She knew that there was a kingdom surrounded by the forest, but never knew who ruled it or even had offspring. "I heard about how you spend most of your life here alone. Even worse when you can't even sing. But I know how that feels. I too grew up without any friends, with only the guards to keep me occupied. But I wanted to change that, I want to be your friend. Maybe even more than that eventually."

He holds out a bouquet of many different flowers, surprising the wolf. she walks closer to get a look of the many different flowers. Marigold, Chocolate Cosmos, Red Lily, and even her favorite flower. Lavender rose. "What do you say..."

"Celeste?"

The wolf's eyes widened and watered as the name hit her like a cemented wall. "T... Taka?" The prince nodded as he laid a gentle kiss on her lips, a bright light surrounding her. Once the light fades, The wolf has transformed into the human form she gained when she traded her singing voice. Except now she has wolf ears and a tail. "... It worked." Kiyotaka whispered, remembering the words Chiaki told him.

" _In order for you two to be together, you need to show her how much you love her. A wolf's cold heart will melt away and show the beauty within. This'll make her a Halfling at the very least._ "

Celeste found herself crying, how could she have forgotten the one person that made her feel like more than a beast? The prince sat next to her as he said. "Sing me a song?" "... Anything for you, my prince." They lay down to look at the night sky as Celeste, holding the bouquet, started singing. Kiyotaka didn't care how bad she sounded, as long as she was happy. Even though it was clumsy, it was honest and true. To this day you can still hear her singing into the night. So always remember to be honest, kind, and above all... who you truly are.

~~~

"The End."

The children applaud to a young woman in a rocking chair with beautiful black shoulder length layered hair, red eyes, and wearing a beautiful white dress and crown. "That was an amazing story Princess Atsuko." One of the halfling kids said. "How did you come up with such a story?" A human kid asked. "Believe me, it's not made up. It's based off a true story, about my parents, the king and queen." "Atsuko? Are you finished reading to the kids?"

The kids looked over to see King Kiyotaka and Queen Celeste at the entrance. They gasped as they see Atsuko placing the book back up on display. "I'll be back tomorrow to tell another story. So be sure to not miss it." Was all the princess said as she left the bookstore with her parents. The kids looked over at the book that she was reading to see it had a golden outline of the king and queen as prince and princess holding hands that reads "The Queen of Liars and the Blind Prince" on the cover.


End file.
